We began this blog in 2009 as a forum to discuss the ongoing Climate negotiations sponsored by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). While we serve as Official Observers of the Association of American Geographers, opinions expressed on this blog belong solely to the authors and are not intended to represent the official position of the Association of American Geographers or of its membership.

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Japan and the Kyoto Protocol

As expected, Japan is making a bit of a fuss about the possible extension of the Kyoto Protocol. Yesterday they indicated that there was no way they would support an extension of the emissions targets as found in the KP.

This appears to be a bit of brinksmanship on their part. By closing off the possibility of extending Kyoto, they are essentially forcing countries with far different positions, most notably China and the U.S., to do the hard work of solving some of their differences.

An extension of the Kyoto Protocol would be, by all accounts, a weak compromise but better than nothing. Japan is forcing the issue into an "all or nothing" mode. The problem is that it is quite possible that this could blow up in everyone's faces as China is not willing to move on many of the demands they have (discussed in some of the posts we made from Copenhagen last year) and the U.S. delegation here in Mexico is really unable to do much because of pressures and political realities at home.

At the moment, things seem to be in an uncomfortable stalemate publicly with some interesting discussions undoubtedly going on behind the scenes.